Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 12 April 2018

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on a civilian casualty caused by the explosion of an object in Myrne and observed multiple impact sites in Staromykhailivka and Donetsk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere.* The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines near Veselohorivka and a water pipeline in Obozne. The SMM observed a restriction measure hearing in the trial of the captain of the fishing ship Nord, who was released on his own recognisance.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including about 300 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 190 explosions).

On the evening and night of 11-12 April, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, three projectiles in flight from west to east, an undetermined explosion, a projectile from west to east, an undetermined explosion and three projectiles from east to west, followed by totals of four undetermined explosions and 34 projectiles (26 from west to east and eight from east to west), all 1-3km south.

During the day on 12 April, positioned on the south-western edge of Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 60 undetermined explosions as well as bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-5km at directions ranging from east to south.

During the day on 12 April, positioned south-south-east of Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 50 undetermined explosions as well as bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all at undetermined distances at directions ranging from west to north-north-west.

During the day on 12 April, positioned in Selidove (government-controlled, 41km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM heard about forty undetermined explosions as well as bursts and shots of small-arms fire, all 3-10km south-south-east and south.

During the day on 12 April, positioned south-east of Lebedynske (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 35 undetermined explosions as well as about 150 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-4km north and north-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 190 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (19 explosions).

On 12 April, positioned north-east of Myrne (non-government-controlled, 28km south-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 50 explosions assessed as artillery (type undetermined) fire, 600m-10km at directions ranging from west to north, assessed as live fire training outside the security zone.

On 12 April, positioned in Veselohorivka (non-government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 44 undetermined explosions, 39 bursts of undetermined weapons and 24 shots of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-10km west-south-west.

On 12 April, positioned on the eastern edge of Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 30 undetermined explosions including one assessed as the detonation of an anti-tank mine, 1-10km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian injured by the explosion of an object. On 12 April at Hospital No. 4 in Mariupol (government-controlled, 102km south of Donetsk), the SMM spoke with a man (aged 55) who had had his right hand amputated, a bandaged left hand and scratches on his face. He told the SMM that on the previous day, at a scrap metal collection site near Myrne (government-controlled, 40km north-east of Mariupol), he had found and picked up a small iron tube slightly bigger than a pen which then exploded in his hand. He was taken by ambulance from Myrne to Mariupol where, he said, his hand had been amputated.

The SMM followed up on reports of damage caused by shelling to multiple houses and assessed nine impact sites in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk) and Donetsk city. The SMM saw a crater at the base of the north-facing wall of a single-storey house at 48 Lenina Street (where two civilians had been injured, see SMM Daily Report 12 April 2018). The house’s north-facing wall and part of the roof were covered with tarpaulin and the crater had been filled with rubble. At a single-story house at 46 Lenina Street, the SMM observed a small hole in the north-north-east-facing roof. At a single-story house at 50 Lenina Street, the SMM observed three broken north-north-east-facing windows. The SMM assessed the damage at 48 Lenina Street to have been caused by the impact of a 122mm artillery round fired from a northerly direction and the damage at 46 and 50 Lenina Street to have been caused by shrapnel from the explosion at 48 Lenina Street. The owners of all three houses told the SMM that the damage had occurred at around 05:00 on 11 April.                 

In a grassy area between the houses at 50 and 56 Lenina Street in Staromykhailivka, the SMM observed a fresh crater approximately 4m in diameter and 30m south-west of the houses, which it assessed as caused by the vertical impact of an undetermined projectile.

At 61 Lenina Street, the SMM saw a garage whose roof had recently collapsed and whose south-facing wall had cracked to its foundation. A Lada Samara parked in the garage had been partially crushed by the collapsed roof. In the south-facing wall of a single-storey house 3m north of the garage, the SMM saw a 50cm hole about 50cm above the ground. A fridge that was standing between the garage and the house was freshly pockmarked by shrapnel. Across the street, the SMM observed three perforations of the corrugated asbestos roof panels of a single-storey house at 60a Lenina Street as well as that one of the house’s north-facing windows was shattered. At a single-storey house at 62 Lenina Street, the SMM observed two recently repaired north-facing windows, and one north-facing window that was covered in plastic sheeting. The SMM assessed all the damage to have resulted from the impact at 61 Lenina Street, but was unable to assess the cause of the impact. A resident of 60a Lenina Street (man in his fifties) told the SMM he had been at home at around 05:00 on 11 April when the explosions occurred).

At 39 Lenina Street, the SMM observed a one-by-three-metre hole in the south-facing asbestos-lined panel of the roof of a single-storey house. The SMM also saw a hole and a large crack in a south-west-facing window and two shattered north-east-facing windows; the house’s east-facing doorframe was cracked and had visible, fresh splintering. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by the blast at 48 Lenina Street, directly across the street.

At 29 Lenina Street, the SMM observed a fresh crater 5m north of a single-story house; 5m north-east of the crater, the SMM saw that concrete panels of an exterior basement entrance had collapsed. The house’s east-facing wall was scarred by shrapnel and several of its east-facing windows had been shattered. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The owner of the house (man in his thirties) said that he, his wife, and their three young children had been inside the house at the time of the impact, at around 05:00 on 11 April.                                

In the yard of a single-storey house at 15 Marchenka Street in Staromykhailivka, the SMM saw a crater that had been filled in and found shrapnel consistent with the remnants of a 122mm artillery shell nearby.

At 4 Marchenka Street, the SMM observed a fresh crater 4m north of a house, next to a tree which had been split in half. Four metres south of the crater, wooden roof panels of the north-east-facing side of a shed had broken off in several places and holes in the shed’s north-east-facing metal wall. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by the explosion of a 122mm artillery round fired from a northerly direction

Between 10 and 12 Frunze Street in Staromykhailivka, the SMM saw a fresh crater assessed as caused by the explosion of a 152mm artillery shell fired from the north-north-west. The owner of the house at 12 Frunze Street (man, aged 60-70) told the SMM the damage had occurred at around 06:00 on 11 April.

In the garden of a single-storey house at 9a Frunze Street, the SMM saw a fresh crater 10m south-east of the house. Six south-facing windows of the house were shattered, while 5m south-east of the house, several of the corrugated asbestos panels of the property’s fence had been toppled. The SMM found shrapnel in the trees on the property. The SMM assessed all damage as caused by a 122mm artillery round fired from a north-north-westerly direction.

At 8 Molodizhna Street in Staromykhailivka, the SMM saw a crater which had been filled in with rubble and three fence posts with holes 4m north of a single-storey house. Immediately west of the crater, the SMM saw a bench with several severed wooden slats and, 4m further west, a car with shattered windows and holes. Four north-facing and three west-facing windows of the house had been covered with plywood panels and the SMM saw scarring marks on the north-facing wall. The SMM assessed all damage to have been caused by an undetermined projectile fired from a north-north-westerly direction. The SMM spoke with the owner (woman, aged 43) and her eight-year-old daughter, who had fresh bruising around her left eye. She told the SMM that they had been sleeping inside when they heard the whistling sound of incoming shells at around 05:10 on 11 April and that after the impact, she saw that her daughter had bruises on her face.

At 26 Leontovycha Street in the Kirovskyi district of non-government-controlled Donetsk city, the SMM saw a fresh crater filled with twigs and branches 10m north-north-west of a single-storey house. Three of the house’s north-facing windows and one of its west-facing windows were shattered and covered with plywood boards and a north-facing part of the roof was covered in plastic sheeting. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by the explosion of a 122mm artillery shell fired from a northerly direction.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

On the evening of 9 April, the SMM camera in Petrivske recorded three explosions assessed as impacts and one airburst 0.5-1km south-south-west (all assessed as inside the disengagement area), and an explosion 1-1.5km south-south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On 12 April, positioned in Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an explosion 3-5km north-east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on 12 April, positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Package of Measures and its Addendum as well as the Memorandum.

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, the SMM saw five tanks (type undetermined) and seven howitzers (type undetermined) near Uspenka (23km south-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2] and trench-digging in the security zone. In government-controlled-areas on 11 April, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted four infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2) near Mykolaivka Druha (55km north of Donetsk) and, on 12 April, the SMM saw an armoured personnel carrier (BTR-60) near Pavlopil (84km south of Donetsk). In non-government-controlled Berezivske (53km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM saw a large excavator digging trenches next to a road on 12 April.

The SMM continued to observe the presence of mines. On 11 April, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted about 50 anti-tank mines (TM-62) laid out in two rows north of road T-0513 near Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) for the first time.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high voltage power lines near Veselohorivka and a water pipeline in Obozne (non-government-controlled, 18km north of Luhansk.

In Kherson city, the SMM observed a restriction measure hearing in the trial of the captain of the fishing ship Nord, who has been charged with illegal fishing under Article 249.1 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. (See SMM Daily Report 10 April 2018.) The captain was released on his own recognisance.

The SMM continued monitoring in Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.                                                         

*Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. Nonetheless, the armed formations in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions frequently deny the SMM access to areas adjacent to Ukraine’s border outside control of the Government (see SMM Daily Report 12 April 2018). The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

Denial of access:

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that he had no information regarding demining activities over the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC on all three occasions.[3]
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM by phone that he had no information regarding demining in the area during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC on all three occasions.[3]
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. An armed formation member positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report. The SMM camera at the entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk was not operational during the reporting period.

[2] This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[3] The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC have withdrawn from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.